This reinforces what Selingo says in College (Un)bound - too many kids are entering college and the work force without preparation or necessary skills. Over 70% of students attend college now for the social aspects and extracurriculars rather than for the intellectual rigor or actual coursework. I would classify social aspects under 'soft' skills, though that doesn't necessarily carry over into 'job ready' skills.
On the other hand, I'm sure employers are all too willing to take college students as interns and free labor. You don't hear about how employers are relying heavily on them too much.
I agree with you HowlerKarma, but I don't think it's necessarily an issue of not being taught or appreciating critical thinking or problem solving. To me, it's a much, much larger problem of autonomy, motivation, and learning that stems from how public/private schools are structured and operate. I think kids, in general, often see little to no relevancy or point between the curriculum and their future lives. They're so disengaged from learning and having control over their lives that they often don't know how to make a decision or self-direct/ self-motivate themselves.
